While Marvel has always been known to mix plenty of humor in with their action, Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy were especially praised for their irreverent tone. While still providing plenty of spectacle and action, both films brought comedy and funny character interactions to the forefront in their effort to establish their own voice. Unsurprisingly, both films offered relatively standalone stories, despite clear connections to the larger MCU. As such, many fans are excited for their respective sequels. While May will bring Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we'll have to wait until the summer of next year for Ant-Man & the Wasp.
Though it may be over a year away, we should be getting a lot more information about the movie soon as pre-production begins this summer. To be more exact, it's been confirmed that filming starts in July, one year before Ant-Man and the Wasp hits theaters. Based on the sequel's title, we know that Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily are coming back, with Michael Douglas also returning as Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man. That leaves just one key character from the first Ant-Man unaccounted for: Luis.
Thanks to Michael Peña's show-stealing performance as the fast-talking Luis, Ant-Man was one of Marvel's funniest movies yet. And while he's assumed to be returning, we haven't had confirmation yet. Despite previous reports claiming Luis will return in the Ant-Man sequel, Peña himself says he's as in the dark as everyone else. Collider spoke with the actor about his upcoming movies CHIPS and The LEGO Ninjago Movie, and asked if he had received a call from Marvel about returning for Ant-Man & the Wasp. Peña replied:
"No, no, I haven't gotten the phone call yet. I don't know if I'm gonna get the phone call. Who knows?"
The interviewer went on to ask whether Marvel even needs to call to ask him about his return, given his multi-picture deal. While Peña seemed unsure, he indicated that he believes as long as his schedule is open, Marvel just needs to call and let him know he's in the film. Luckily, there's still plenty of time. With filming still months away, and Luis' part likely a small one compared to the superheroic action, he could certainly be brought on late in the game.
The upcoming Ant-Man sequel should really give Lily's character, Hope van Dyne, the chance to shine. We know Hope won't be appearing in Avengers: Infinity War, saving her true superhero debut for Ant-Man and the Wasp a couple months later. Despite director Peyton Reed teasing more craziness in the next Ant-Man movie, Ant-Man & the Wasp is likely to be a small story focusing on its tight ensemble. Hopefully, Peña's Luis will be a part of that.
UPDATE: Following his Collider interview, Peña has since confirmed his return for Ant-Man and the Wasp, telling LRM “So, I’m doing Extinction next, that’s a Universal movie. And then I’m doing Ant-Man, Part 2.”
